Who was the first black Olympic figure skater?
Debi Thomas
Born Debra Janine Thomas on March 25, 1967, in Poughkeepsie, New York, Debi Thomas is best known for becoming the first African American win a medal at the Winter Olympic Games in 1988. Thomas first stepped into the skating rink at the age of five. By age nine, she was taking formal lessons and winning competitions.
What ever happened to Debbie Thomas?
She revealed that she now lives in a trailer in Richland, Virginia, near the Appalachian Mountains after having to close her medical practice due to bankruptcy. Living with her fiance Jamie Looney and his two sons, she has fallen from her once famed status. Thomas has always challenged convention and still does now.
What is Surya Bonaly famous for?
Surya Varuna Claudine Bonaly (born 15 December 1973) is a French retired competitive figure skater. She is a three-time World silver medalist (1993–1995), a five-time European champion (1991–1995), the 1991 World Junior Champion, and a nine-time French national champion (1989–1997).
What nationality is Starr Andrews?
American
Starr Andrews/Nationality
Is Star Andrews still skating?
Starr Andrews (born June 23, 2001) is an American figure skater….
| Starr Andrews | |
|---|---|
| Free skate | 115.69 2021 Skate America |
Who was the black female ice skater?
Debra Janine Thomas (born March 25, 1967) is an African American former figure skater and physician. She is the 1986 World champion, the 1988 Olympic bronze medalist, and a two-time U.S. national champion….
| Debi Thomas | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Retired | 1988 |
Is Tai Babilonia married?
Personal. Babilonia was inspired at the age of six to begin ice skating after watching Peggy Fleming on television. Babilonia has a son named Scout with former husband Cary Butler. She was engaged in 2005 to actor and comedian David Brenner, but they never married before their breakup in 2011.
Is Debi Thomas mentally ill?
Medical board records show she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Unable to practice — or afford $800 in monthly rent — Thomas moved into Looney’s trailer, declared bankruptcy and let her medical license expire.
Did Surya Bonaly win a gold medal?
While she never won an Olympic medal, Bonaly is a three-time World Cup silver medalist, five-time champion of Europe and a nine-time champion of France.
Does Surya Bonaly live in Minnesota?
Countless competitions and three Olympics later, Bonaly calls Minnesota home. EDINA, Minn. — When Surya Bonaly started figure skating as a little girl, it was casual. Her mother was a sports coach who taught multiple disciplines from gymnastics to figure skating.
Who was the first African American to win a medal in Figure Skating?
Athlete, Ice Skater (1967–) Debi Thomas was the first African American to win the women’s title at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and a medal in Winter Olympics competition.
When did Debi Thomas become an Olympic figure skater?
In February 1986, she took the senior women’s title at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships — becoming the first African American to win a non-novice title. That same year, Thomas earned the top spot at the World Championships. In 1988, Thomas competed at the Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada.
Why did Mabel Fairbanks not become a figure skater?
Racism deprived Mabel Fairbanks the chance to become a figure skating champion in the 1930s, an era when she saw signs at rinks shamelessly declare, “Colored Trade Is Not Solicited.”